Conventionally, a medicine feeder apparatus which automatically discharges medicine such as tablets, capsules, ampoules in accordance with a prescription has been used in a hospital or a pharmacy. The medicine feeder apparatus comprises a plurality of cassettes each of which contains a different kind of medicine and a base portion on which the plurality of cassettes are mounted and which discharges the medicine in accordance with the prescription. When the medicine in the cassette become shortage, the cassette is dismounted to replenish the cassette with the medicine and mounted back on the base portion, enabling a user to continually use the apparatus.
However, if the cassette replenished with the medicine is not returned to the original base portion but mounted on other base, the medicine which is different from that according to the prescription is discharged, resulting in a defective packing. Moreover, when an operator find that the different medicine has been discharged and stops the apparatus, some medicine may engage with a rotor etc. of the base portion, whereby a burdensome work that the medicine should be removed is necessary.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a medicine feeder apparatus which can prevent a mounting error of the cassette.
As a means to solve the aforementioned disadvantages, the present invention provides a medicine feeder apparatus comprising a plurality of cassettes each of which contains a different kind of medicine and a base portion on which the plurality of cassettes are mounted and which discharges the medicine in accordance with the prescription, the apparatus comprising:
an identification means which is provided on each cassette, the identification means showing information on the medicine contained in the cassette;
a read means which is provided on the base portion, the read means reading the identification means of the cassette during the cassette is mounted on the base portion; and
a rock means which is provided on the base portion, the rock means preventing the cassette from being mounted, whereby if the information of the medicine read from the identification by the read means does not coincide with a previously stored information, the rock means is operated, while if coincide, the rock means is released.
According to the present invention, when the cassette is going to be mounted to a wrong position of the base portion, the read means reads the information of the medicine from the identification means of the cassette. Since the read information does not coincide with the previously stored information, the lock means can not be released. Thus, the cassette can not be mounted on the wrong position, preventing a mounting error of the cassette.
Preferably, the identification means may comprise a bar code showing the information of the medicine and the read means may comprise a bar code reader. Alternatively, it is also preferable that the identification means may comprise a memory for storing the information of the medicine and a radio receiver/transmitter and the read means may comprise a radio receiver/transmitter, whereby when the radio transmitter of the read means transmits a read signal, the radio receiver of the identification means receives the read signal and then the information of the medicine stored in the memory is transmitted through the radio transmitter of the identification means and received by the radio receiver of the read means.
Preferably, the rock means may comprise a solenoid and a claw piece which moves when energizing the solenoid, whereby the claw piece prevent the cassette from being mounted.
Alternatively, the rock means may comprise a rack provided on the cassette and a pinion provided on the base portion so that the pinion can engage with the rack, whereby as the cassette is mounted on the base portion, the rack comes into contact with the pinion to prevent the cassette from being mounted, while the pinion rotates to engage with the rack and move the cassette in a mounting direction to release the rock means.